Our flight to the Galapagos will make one stop at Guayaquil for 35 minutes and then we continue on the 600km flight to Baltra in the Galapagos. When we land it is extremely hot and arid. Very different from the lush vegetation of the Amazon. Clearing customs is fairly straightforward. We have to declare any items that may be made from plant material or if we have any camping equipment, hiking boots etc. No search is carried out but there is definitely an effort to control the introduction of any non-endemic species…. and steep fines for non-declaration.

We have to wait about half an hour for a bus to take us on the five minute drive to the port. We are handed lifejackets and board zodiacs (they call them pangas) for the short journey across the harbour to our boat ‘Solaris’.

We have chosen a small boat, which carries a maximum 16 passengers. The view back to shore is lovely with blue water and fluffy clouds. Frigates and pelicans soar in the sky and periodically plunge into the sea to catch a fish.

We are given an orientation and shown to our cabins. Mine is far better than expected. Not a single but a double so pretty good space for a small boat and one person.

We then have lunch which is most acceptable. A huge red snapper, moist and delicious with simple salad, rice and creamy beef. Dessert was fruit salad.

Afterwards we are issued with fins, masks and wetsuits. The team have a great way to put wetsuits on. They put thin plastic bags on your feet and hands, which then slide into the suit effortlessly. It’s taken me twenty years to discover that trick!

We go ashore to snorkel and test out our equipment. My mask is too small and I will change it tomorrow. The water is warm so I may not bother wearing the wetsuit in future. I give Jane a snorkelling lesson. The wetsuit gives her extra buoyancy and she is definitely getting the hang of it. It is all about confidence.

There is a small amount of wildlife on the beach. Three flamingos wade in a salt pond, there are turtle nests, two marine iguanas and lots of sally lightfoot crabs.

Somebody saw a seal in the water but the visibility was terrible and my mask was fogging and leaking. I don’t quite know how anyone could see anything. I wish I’d taken my big camera as there was more wildlife to photograph than I was led to believe. I only took the Olympus Tough for photographs. It not up to the job as you can see above. I shall take the DSLR and phone in future.

There is no Wi-Fi on the boat and so I think posting up the blog may not happen until I get back to the UK, but I’m dictating notes now in the hope that I may have signal and be able to pull something together quickly.

Before dinner we are given our schedule for tomorrow. It’s another horrible early start!